DAY 86. Diego Senise

Entrepreneur and Researcher at ILUMEO.

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English:

Co-author of the ROI (“return on investment”) book in Communication: Avaliação e Mensuração – “Evaluation and Measurement” – (Publisher: Diffusion, 2010). Graduated in Publicity and Advertising from ECA-USP, Diego also took the course Management in Business Communications at the University of Florida. He is pursuing his second degree: Social Sciences in FFLCH-USP. He worked with strategic planning for the agencies F/Nazca Saatchi&Saatchi, Leo Burnett Brasil and Agência Click (Click Agency), and also worked in the consultancy CO.R Estratégias de Inovação (Innovation Strategies), where he developed a series of ad hoc studies for major companies of the Brazilian market. Today he is director at ILUMEO, a consulting and research institute.

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What is your impression about a brand called Brazil?

One way to understand the “brand Brazil”, we need to give a positive interpretation to the question of the “Homem Cordial” (“Cordial Man”), by Sergio Buarque de Hollanda. He identifies that the relations among Brazilians are guided more by affection than by rigor, respect for laws, etc. This would end in institutional problems as the “Brazilian way” (called ´jeitinho´ in Portuguese) and the corruption.

But what if we reverse the point of view? What does this affective trait of the Brazilian brings of good for the country?

Perhaps this closeness, warmth and affection among people break barriers, knock down hierarchies, stimulating creativity and innovation. The affection in the relationship between teachers and students, bosses and employees, leaders and followers, etc. This differentiates us in relation to other countries.

This hypothesis is based on my own experience. In 2006, I had marketing classes with Otávio Freire, a marketing professor of USP. Even after graduating, I continued chatting, having some beers, talking about life. And in one of these conversations, we had the idea of ​​opening a startup. Anyway, the teacher became a partner, and now he is also a godfather of my wedding.

The relationships based on affection, typical of Brazilians, are fruitful. Hierarchies crumble, barriers fall and many new things can emerge.

I have the impression that Brazil had an empty identity that was filled by few thinkers. Today, thoughts by Sérgio Buarque de Hollanda, Gilberto Freire, Darcy Ribeiro, Florestan Fernandes, Caio Prado Júnior are hegemonic, as interpretation ways of Brazil and of the Brazilian. They started. However, today we need something more to understand ourselves.

For me, the “brand Brazil” is creative, inventive, relaxed and with no fear of making mistakes. All this is because we are moved by affection, which generates good consequences, in one hand, and problems for the country on the other hand.